With Easter fast approaching, rail passengers have decided to leave a tasty treat for NHS workers at some of Cambridgeshire’s railway stations.

Hundreds of Easter eggs, all donated by customers as part of an annual collection, are available for NHS staff at Ely station, as well as Cambridge and Cambridge North stations.

Other chocolate treats, including vegan options, have been donated by passengers over previous weeks for members of the NHS workforce who pass through Ely, Cambridge and Cambridge North, who can also ask a member of staff for an egg.

Every year, treats are donated at the station and distributed to local charities and hospitals, but this year, the decision was made to donate them to hardworking NHS staff who use the stations.

Mike Barry, Greater Anglia’s area customer service manager, said: “We know several members of NHS staff use our services to get to and from work and we would like to show our appreciation to them.

“We also would like to thank our very generous customers donating the Easter eggs and supporting our annual Easter egg drive.”

Greater Anglia is currently providing a revised rail service as part of the national effort to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of an industry-wide response, the train operator is running a reduced service for essential journeys, for key workers such as NHS staff, emergency workers and carers.

In their guidelines, the Government has said that public transport is for essential use only, so that key workers and our staff can practise social distancing and be safe on their journeys.

The network is looking for retired signallers or those who have moved to other careers in the railway industry for roles at signal boxes across the county, as well as providing cover if some members of the workforce need to self-isolate in weeks to come.

David Davidson, Network Rail’s head of operations for the Anglia region, said: “Signallers are crucial to keep this going and we need former workers to help us provide back-up if some of our staff can’t come to work.”

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